scholarly journals How to Define Acute Liver Failure Patients with Pre-Existing Liver Disease without Signs of Cirrhosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Gottlieb ◽  
Maren Kottmann ◽  
Paul Manka ◽  
Sotiria Bedreli ◽  
Johannes Hadem ◽  
...  

Background: The definition of acute liver failure (ALF) usually implies no previous liver injury. Though, some patients admitted to liver transplantation centers with the diagnosis of ALF are obese or have diabetes. Elevated liver enzymes were not recorded previously, and no signs of cirrhosis or prior decompensation of the liver function were ever present. Still, these patients differ from the “typical” ALF-patient. Goals: In this study, we aimed to confirm acute-on-chronic-liver failure (AOCLF) in patients diagnosed with ALF and to identify possible differences between ALF and AOCLF. Study: Patients were retrospectively recruited from all patients admitted to the University Hospital Essen with diagnosis of ALF between 2008 and 2015. Data of 163 patients were evaluated, resulting in a reclassification of 32 patients as AOCLF (remaining ALF: 131). Demographic and clinical data as well as serum parameters, including cell death markers, were correlated with clinical outcome. Results: Patients with AOCLF were significantly older, had a higher body mass index (BMI), and were more often male. The cause for liver failure in these patients differed significantly from patients who had an actual ALF. Significant differences were also found for serum liver enzymes. Outcome of patients did not differ between AOCLF and ALF. Though, lower BMI and MELD and higher AST and GLDH were predictors for a beneficial outcome. Conclusion: AOCLF is still commonly misdiagnosed as ALF. While clinical outcome does not significantly differ between ALF and AOCLF, risk factors for adverse outcome may significantly differ between these entities.

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinaya C. Maddukuri ◽  
Courtney D. Stephenson ◽  
Lon Eskind ◽  
William A. Ahrens ◽  
Preston Purdum ◽  
...  

Acute liver failure (ALF) during pregnancy is very uncommon. Pregnancy-specific liver conditions like hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome and acute fatty liver of pregnancy can cause ALF at term or postpartum, but, typically occur during the third trimester. Most of these patients recover spontaneously after delivery, but, on occasion, they require liver transplantation in the postpartum period. However, ALF during the first and second trimester of pregnancy requiring antepartum liver transplantation is rare. Only fifteen cases of liver transplantation during pregnancy have been reported, and very few occurred during the first trimester. We report a Woman who developed acute liver failure during the first trimester of pregnancy and underwent successful liver transplantation at 11-week gestation, followed by successful delivery of the fetus at 30 weeks. To our knowledge, this is the earliest case of successful liver transplantation during pregnancy followed by successful fetal outcome. We discuss management of the patient and fetus before, during, and after liver transplantation and review the literature on antepartum liver transplant in pregnancy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-170
Author(s):  
Chattip Prueksapraopong ◽  
Varisa Piriyakitpaiboon ◽  
Dissajee Lumbiganon

AbstractBackgroundAcute liver failure (ALF) is a rare condition during neonatal period.ObjectiveTo report a case of recipient twin with fulminant ALF secondary to hydrops fetalis caused by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).MethodThe patient was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and fulminant ALF with prolonged international normalized ratio (INR) and elevated liver enzymes with highest aspartate aminotransferase of 4,580 U/L.ResultsLaboratory investigation for secondary causes of liver failure was not revealing. Her liver enzymes and coagulation levels were dramatically normalized as the clinical symptoms of hypervolemia improved within 1 week.ConclusionTTTS can be a possible cause of neonatal ALF. Early detection with proper management of TTTS is important to avoid adverse outcomes. However, pathogenesis of hepatic dysfunction in TTTS is rarely described, and further studies are needed to help understanding the correlation between liver diseases and TTTS.


2021 ◽  
pp. 175114372110254
Author(s):  
Evangelia Poimenidi ◽  
Yavor Metodiev ◽  
Natasha Nicole Archer ◽  
Richard Jackson ◽  
Mansoor Nawaz Bangash ◽  
...  

A thirty-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to hospital with headache and gastrointestinal discomfort. She developed peripheral oedema and had an emergency caesarean section following an episode of tonic-clonic seizures. Her delivery was further complicated by postpartum haemorrhage and she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further resuscitation and seizure control which required infusions of magnesium and multiple anticonvulsants. Despite haemodynamic optimisation she developed an acute kidney injury with evidence of liver damage, thrombocytopenia and haemolysis. Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets (HELLP) syndrome, a multisystem disease of advanced pregnancy which overlaps with pre-eclampsia, was diagnosed. HELLP syndrome is associated with a range of complications which may require critical care support, including placental abruption and foetal loss, acute kidney injury, microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, acute liver failure and liver capsule rupture. Definitive treatment of HELLP is delivery of the fetus and in its most severe forms requires admission to the ICU for multiorgan support. Therapeutic strategies in ICU are mainly supportive and include blood pressure control, meticulous fluid balance and possibly escalation to renal replacement therapy, mechanical ventilation, neuroprotection, seizure control, and management of liver failure-related complications. Multidisciplinary input is essential for optimal treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Piotrowska ◽  
Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler ◽  
Beat Lehmann ◽  
Gert Krummrey ◽  
Manuel Haschke ◽  
...  

Aim. To investigate the characteristics of Emergency Department (ED) presentations due to acute paracetamol intoxication. Methods. Retrospective observational study of patients presenting to the ED of Bern University Hospital between May 1, 2012, and October 31, 2018, due to a paracetamol overdose (defined as intake of >4 g/24 h). Cases were identified using the full-text search of the electronic patient database and were grouped into intentional (suicidal/parasuicidal) and unintentional intoxications (e.g., patient unaware of maximal daily dose). Results. During the study period, 181 cases were included and 143 (79%) of those were intentional. Compared to the patients in the unintentional group, patients in the intentional group were more often female (85% vs 45%, p<0.001) and younger (median age 23.0 vs 43.5 years, p<0.001), more frequently suffered from psychiatric comorbidities (93%, (including 49% with borderline personality disorder) vs 24%, p<0.001), and paracetamol was more often taken as a single dose (80% vs 13%, p<0.001). Although the median daily ingested dose was lower in the unintentional than in the intentional group (8.2 g vs 12.9 g, p<0.001), patients in the unintentional group presented later (29% vs 84% within 24 h of ingestion, p<0.001), included more cases of acute liver failure (nine (24%) vs six (4%), p<0.001), and were more often hospitalised (24% vs 52% treated as outpatients, p=0.002). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding drug-induced liver injury (seven cases (5%) in the intentional and one (3%) in the unintentional group) or fatalities (one in each group). Conclusions. The majority of presentations due to paracetamol poisoning were intentional, most commonly in female patients with borderline personality disorder. Patients with unintentional paracetamol intoxication had worse outcomes with respect to acute liver failure and hospitalisation. Future preventive measures should raise awareness of paracetamol toxicity in the general population and encourage particular attention and frequent follow-ups when prescribing paracetamol for vulnerable groups.


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (10) ◽  
pp. 1375-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masato Yoshihara ◽  
Michinori Mayama ◽  
Mayu Ukai ◽  
Sho Tano ◽  
Yasuyuki Kishigami ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.-T. Wai ◽  
R. J. Fontana ◽  
J. Polson ◽  
M. Hussain ◽  
A. O. Shakil ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-286
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Dorelo ◽  
Samantha T.A. Barcelos ◽  
Magela Barros ◽  
Valeria Elustondo ◽  
Ysela Y.P. Pérez ◽  
...  

Introduction and aim: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) manifests as a spectrum of clinical presentations that carries morbidity and mortality. Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), particularly hospitalized, are at high risk for developing DILI. We aimed to investigate the use of potentially hepatotoxic drugs (PHD) in patients with CLD in a tertiary university hospital. Materials and methods: Adult (≥ 18 years-old) with CLD admitted to the hospital from January 2016 to December 2018 were evaluated regarding PHD, assessing the risk of DILI and liver enzymes behavior after exposure. Results: From 931 hospitalized patients with CLD, 291 (31.3%) were exposed to hepatotoxic drugs during their hospitalization. Of those, 244 (83.8%) were cirrhotic. The most frequent causes of liver disease were hepatitis C (41.2%), followed by alcohol (13.2%), hepatitis C/alcohol (11.7%) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (5.8%). Decompensated cirrhosis (46.7%) was the main reason for hospital admission. The most often prescribed PHD were antibiotics (67.7%), cardiovascular drugs (34.4%), neuromodulators (26.1%) and anesthetics (19.9%). After exposure, 113 patients (38.8%) presented significant elevated liver enzymes. Surprisingly, PHD were more often prescribed in GI/Liver unit (48.8%) followed by emergency/intensive care unit (28.5%). A total of 65 patients (22%) died, however in neither case was it possible to safely infer causal relationship among PHD, liver enzymes and death. Conclusion: PHD prescription is frequent in patients with CLD even in a tertiary university hospital and in the gastroenterology and hepatology department, exposing these patients to an additional risk.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamshid Vafaeimanesh ◽  
Mohammad Bagherzadeh ◽  
Mahmoud Parham

Introduction. Many diseases and conditions can contribute to elevated liver enzymes. Common causes include viral and autoimmune hepatitis, fatty liver, and bile duct diseases, but, in uncommon cases like liver involvement in endocrine disorders, liver failure is also seen. Adrenal insufficiency is the rarest endocrine disorder complicating the liver. In the previously reported cases of adrenal insufficiency, mild liver enzymes elevation was seen but we report a case with severe elevated liver enzymes and liver failure due to adrenal insufficiency. Based on our knowledge, this is the first report in this field.Case Report. A 39-year-old woman was referred to emergency ward due to drowsiness and severe fatigue. Her laboratory tests revealed prothrombin time: 21 sec, alanine aminotransferase (ALT): 2339 IU/L, aspartate aminotransferase (AST): 2002 IU/L, and ALP: 90 IU/L. No common cause of liver involvement was discovered, and eventually, with diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency and corticosteroid therapy, liver enzymes and function became normal. Finally, the patient was discharged with good general condition.Conclusion. With this report, we emphasize adrenal insufficiency (primary or secondary) as a reason of liver involvement in unexplainable cases and recommend that any increase in the liver enzymes, even liver failure, in these patients should be observed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 519-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvio Nadalin ◽  
Matthias Heuer ◽  
Michael Wallot ◽  
Marcus Auth ◽  
Randolph Schaffer ◽  
...  

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